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Hurricane Lorenzo (2019)
Hurricane Lorenzo was a devastating hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season which caused 4.2 billion USD in damages, and 55 deaths. Most of the damage was caused in Louisiana and Mississippi, with 71% of the deaths being attributed to those two states. Most of the damage dealt by Lorenzo was due to flooding in low-lying areas of Louisiana, and wind and storm surge knocked out power for several weeks. It was the first storm to make landfall at Category 5 intensity in Louisiana, and the 5th strongest landfall in the United States recorded (tied with Maria and Michael, 2017 and 2018 respectively). Meteorological history On September 13, the NHC started monitoring a disturbance south of Jamaica. They gave it a 90% chance of formation within the next five days. On September 17 at 12:00 UTC, Tropical Depression Twelve formed, intensifying 30 hours later into Tropical Storm Lorenzo. The next day at 6:00 UTC it intensified further into Hurricane Lorenzo, at Category 1 status. It strengthened more before making landfall in Yucatan, weakening it back into a tropical storm. However, after making it into the Gulf of Mexico, it intensified into a Category 5 hurricane over the period of 36 hours. It weakened slightly back into a Category 4 hurricane before landfall in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It weakened relatively slowly after landfall, making it up to Illinois as a tropical depression. It was the first storm recorded to make landfall in Arkansas at hurricane intensity. It made an extratropical transition on September 24, where it brought rain to the Great Lakes regions. Preparations Belize The Government of Belize issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the east coast of Belize on September 17, however shortly after the storm had upgraded into a Category 1 hurricane and the warning was replaced by a Hurricane Warning for the whole country as it was expected to pass over. Prior to the storms landfall, an estimated 5,000 - 8,000 took refuge in storm shelters and churches. Mexico A Tropical Storm Watch was issued for the Yucatan Peninsula by the Mexican Government on September 19 0:00 UTC, which 6 hours later was upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch for Campeche and Quintana Roo. After the storm made landfall in Belize, the Hurricane Watch had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning. United States The governor of Louisiana issued a state of emergency for all parishes in state, and the governor of Texas issued a state of emergency for it's easternmost parishes. As many as around 120,000 people evacuated in anticipation of the storm, with another 40,000 people taking refuge in storm shelters. Impact Belize The storm did around 20 million in damages in Belize, although many people were killed or displaced by floods. The total deaths in Belize were 19. 6 people were washed away from raging rapids as they tried to row away from the storm. Mexico Mexico felt the least effect, with it only recieving tropical storm-force winds. Not much damage was dealt, and no deaths were caused. United States Due to the storm hitting a sparsely-populated area of the coast, damage and deaths were limited, however when it traveled further inland it made landfall in Lake Charles as a Category 3, causing about 750 million in damages. The outer bands of the storm caused moderate flooding in low-lying areas of Louisiana and Texas, especially New Orleans which, unlike Katrina, did not breach the levees but still caused downtown flooding which alone was worth around 3.1 billion in damages. The final cost of the storm from it's effects in the Louisiana and Texas was 4.1 billion. As the storm traveled further inland, it brought rains to Arkansas and other inland states, which caused light flooding and about 100 million in damages. Most deaths were due to flooding in New Orleans and other affected areas. Aftermath Most of the damage from this hurricane was due to storm surge. Many residents in Louisiana were left without electricity for weeks as the power lines were under repair. Due to it's effect in Belize and Lousiana, the name Lucio was retired in the spring of 2020 and replaced with Lance for the 2025 season. Category:Hurricanes Category:Atlantic hurricanes Category:Category 5 hurricanes Category:Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes Category:Major hurricanes Category:Hurricanes in the USA Category:Hurricanes in Mexico Category:Hurricanes in Nicaragua Category:2019 Atlantic hurricane season (GoldM) Category:Destructive storms Category:GoldM